Summary:
Waleska, Georgia, is served by a single elementary school, R. M. Moore Elementary School, which educates students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the high-performing Cherokee County district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that R. M. Moore is a large school (1,042 students) with a favorable 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio and robust per-student spending of $16,359. The school has shown meaningful momentum, jumping from a 2-star to a 3-star state rating and moving from the 49th percentile to the 57th percentile in the latest rankings. A standout strength is its chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.0%, which is less than half the state average of 17.7%—a remarkable feat given that 65.36% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Academically, the school excels in early-grade math: 3rd grade proficiency (52.3%) and 4th grade proficiency (56.3%) both exceed state averages, with 3rd grade math improving by a dramatic 13.2 percentage points year-over-year.
However, there are clear areas of concern. The transition to 5th grade appears challenging, as 5th grade math proficiency (38.2%) and science proficiency (33.8%) fall well below both state and district averages—the science gap is the school's largest deficit at 19.5 points below the district. Based on the most recent ELA data available (2024-2025), the school trails state averages in all grades, with gaps widening from 6.3 points in 3rd grade to 7.9 points in 5th grade. While the school often lags its district averages, it's important to remember that Cherokee County ranks in the 89th percentile statewide, setting a very high bar. The combination of high spending, low absenteeism, and improving early-grade performance suggests a school with strong foundations, but the 5th grade slump and persistent ELA gaps indicate where instructional focus may be needed most.
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